When the winds blow....

In May 2007, Greensburg, Kansas a little town of about 1200 people was completely wiped off the face of the earth by a massive tornado.  I really thought that I had seen the worst damage that could possibly be done by a twister.   However, that all changed when we went through Joplin, Missouri last Saturday night.

Just to give you an idea, the number of deaths from the Joplin tornado is currently listed at 160.  This makes it the deadliest tornado in the United States in over 50 years.  I grew up in a small town about 45 miles from there.  I remember in my youth going there several times a year.  As I drove through the streets of that once prosperous town of 40000 people, I had a very difficult time finding landmarks that were recognizable.

We were given a tour of the destruction by a friend of ours who is a firefighter for the Joplin Fire Department.  He gave us a quick one hour tour of the damage.  The stories that he told as we drove through the destruction amplified the feelings of sadness by the devastation of an area that I used to roam.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words so we will show as many as we can, but I can honestly say that to get the full effect it must be seen with the naked eye.  I hope that no one will ever again have to experience that kind of total devasation.

We are currently staying at my childhood friend's house, and look forward to the time that we will have together.  Happy Trails!